Italy: Venice Holds Hidden Wonders For All

There are some places in the world that are perfect for everyone, where there’s always something to enjoy. Granted, not every destination fits snugly into this category. For instance, it certainly can’t be said about Florida. For some people, the golden state of sunshine is far too hot and humid in the summer, and besides, it’s also mainly plastic. Some people love it, others hate it and would never want to return.

But what about a place like Venice? Even if you’ve never been, I can guarantee that you would find something to love about this unique location. It truly has an incredible character that you can’t help but fall in love with and lots of unique experiences that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Join me then, as I discover how Venice has a little something for everyone.

Venice Film Festival

Kicking off towards the end of the year is the Venice film festival, and you’ll spot a lot of famous people at this event. Woody Allen is a regular attendee, and he often brings with him a host of stars who have appeared in his films as of late. You’ll also get the chance to rub shoulders with some of the producers and other movie directors of Hollywood. The best part is that anyone can get tickets to this event if you’re early enough. So, if you are interested in film, why not have a different type of vacation, complete with an unmissable cinematic experience. Remember, it’s not just about wining and dining, there are the movies themselves which will be showcased on massive screens under a starlit sky.

Do book early though as places to stay sell out awfully quickly at this time of year.

Gliding Through The Water

Another factor that makes Venice somewhat unique and serene are the waterways, complete with Gondolas to take you where you need to go. There’s no better way to travel through Venice than on a gondola. Lie back, stare up at the sky or gaze at the incredible architecture as you glide through the back rivers of the city, sweeping underneath bridges and through narrow passageways that the gondoliers know like the back of their hand.

You can even get unique tours while being taken around the city on a Gondola. A Cicchetti tour in Venice will let you sample and savor some of the best dishes and foods that the city has to offer. You’ll be able to take the tour on a gondola and get off whenever they point out a place where you must try to dine. Cicchetti, a mixture of small dishes and little snacks are sold all around Venice from street stores and quaint bars. It’s the perfect experience to try as noon arrives, but it’s certainly not the only cuisine experience that will tantalize your taste buds.

Every Day Is A New Dish

Yes, Venice is the perfect place to try new dishes and tastes and see whether any tickle your fancy. If you’re renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel, you must try the Venetian market. There you will find plenty of local foods being sold from everything including meat and veg. As such, you’ll be able to make your own meals from true local produce. Or, alternatively, you can venture out in the evening, exploring some of the many restaurants that Venice has to offer. You won’t be disappointed by what you discover because the food here is to die for. There are so many foods and dishes that you must sample in Venice, it’s hard to name them all, but you should perhaps begin with the Sarde de Sour. This dish is both sweet and sour made up of marinating sardines in vinegar and onions or raisins. It really is rather delicious. Or, perhaps you could try risi e bisi. A rice based starter, this is sure to go down a treat, particularly if you love your fresh veg.

Escaping The Hustle And Bustle

You might think that Venice is a sprawling lively city that, like New York, never sleeps. While Venice does has it’s moments of excitement, particularly when the festivals take over the streets, that are also times of serenity. You can find peace with a chance to relax and escape urban busy city streets when you visit Venice. To find this, you might want to try going on a guided tour and uncover a lost piece of history. There’s an island named after St Lazarus who happens to be the patron saint of lepers. The island used to be a safe haven for these poor individuals, free from ridicule and ostracization. However, these days the island is a monastery and tourists visiting Venice can take a tour guided by monks. It’s so serene that many people find a piece of themselves that they believed to be lost, right here.

Or how about visiting a completely preserved Palazzo. A beautiful Italian palace on an island that has withstood the test of time. While it might not look all that interesting outside, inside you can explore the halls that the rich used to roam and gaze at decor from centuries ago. It really is a stunning place to visit, and the silence you’ll find here is quite breathtaking.

Secret Wines

Do you love your wines? If that’s the case, you should consider taking a secret wine tour. What makes it a secret? Well, very few people know about it, so you certainly won’t have to fight for a space. The tour consists of the different types of wines that Venetians love to savor through the day as well as old wine cellars that only the locals know of. As such, you don’t want to miss the chance to see Venice like never before.

Of course, this is just one example of why you should certainly consult the experts and locals when you take a trip to Venice. You never know what they might help you discover down every forgotten street.

5 Comments

It really is, we got engaged there, it was very romantic. We visited in May and the weather was fantastic – I imagine the summer months may be quite stifling. Oh and watch out for the mosquitos if you do visit – we were eaten alive!

Oh that’s terrible, We visited 7 years ago for just under a week and I’ll be honest it was a very clean place, bit smelly in the sunshine but that was the water not trash. Must be a new thing – how hard is it to put stuff in the bin? I also heard recently that they are thinking of introducing a fee to enter St Mark’s Square – this may be a way to try and combat the trash issue?

And also partly to combat the crowds. The documentary suggested there are less than 100,000 Venetians and tourist numbers of a few times that visit every day. The local shops have all become souvenir stores, so local people find it hard to actually live a normal life in the city!

Vicky & Chris

Thanks for joining us (Vicky & Chris, a married couple from Yorkshire, England) as we Eat, Sleep, Love and Travel our way around the world! Between us, we have been to 75 countries (long may the list grow!)

We have been travelling together since January 2007 when we took our first trip only two weeks from our first meeting to Florence, Italy.